Inner sole spotter and retainer



Aug. 8, 1964 P. A. LAMY 3,144,669

INNER SOLE SPOT'I'ER AND RETAINER Filed June '7, 1962 INVENTOR.

9404 4 LAM) United States Patent 3,144,669 INNER SOLE SPOTTER ANDRETAINER Paul A. Lamy, 13 Ferry St., Suncook, N.H. Filed June 7, 1962,Ser. No. 200,772 6 Claims. (Cl. 12141) The present invention relates tothe manufacture of shoes generally and in particular to a means forpositioning and holding the inner sole of a shoe on a last.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel means forpositioning and holding an inner sole accurately on the bottom of alast, the means being suitable for the manufacture of shoes in allsizes, and all styles, and the means being economical to manufacture andassemble.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means forautomatically positioning an inner sole on the bottom of a shoe last,one which is foolproof in operation, one which may be manufactured inquantity at reasonable costs, and one which is highly effective inaction.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will befully apparent from the following description when taken in connectionwith the annexed drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a shoe last showing an inner solepartially installed thereon with the means of the present invention forholding the inner sole,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the shoe last with the holding means, theinner sole being removed,

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view partially in section showing the holdingmeans of the present invention, and,

FIGURE 4 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 44 of FIGURE2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicatelike parts throughout the several views, the reference numeraldesignates generally a shoe last having a heel portion 12 and a toeportion 14. The last has a sole surface 16 which extends over the heelportion 12 and the toe portion 14.

The present invention provides a positioner and retainer for an innersole, such as shown in FIGURE 1, and designated by the numeral 18.

The device of the present invention is shown most clearly in FIGURES 3and 4 and it consists in a plate element 20 having two countersunk holesin it and a slot 24 midway of the holes 22. Both the heel portion 12 andthe toe portion 14 have been provided with the present invention and asboth of the devices are identical they will be described with referenceto the device in the heel portion 12.

First the last is prepared by providing it with a bore 26 and a recess28 of a size to receive the plate element 20.

On each side of the bore 26 and connected in communication with therecess 28 is a threaded bore 30 for receiving one of the machine screws32, as shown in FIGURE 3.

The present invention provides a conical spring member 34 having itslarger end seatable in the bottom 36 of the bore 26 and having its upperend bent to a configuration which is substantially of inverted U-shape,as shown most clearly in FIGURE 4 and designated by the referencenumeral 38.

The U-shaped portion 38 is disposed so that its legs 3,144,669 PatentedAug. 18, 1964 are in a plane which coincide with the longitudinal axisof the slot 24.

The one leg 40 of the portion 38 is straight and the other leg 42 has aninwardly turned bend. The legs 40 and 42 form a neck narrower than thebalance of the portion 38. The balance of the portion 38 above the neckformed by the legs 40 and 42 is termed a head 44 which is of a widthgreater than the hole 46 provided in the inner sole 18.

It is an important feature of the present invention that the resiliencyof the portion 38, permitting it to move from the full line position inFIGURE 4 to the dotted line position allows the spring 34 to assume aposition to stretch the inner sole 18 snugly on the surface 16.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the headed portions or heads 44 of the springs 34are offset with respect to the neck 43 of such springs 34 and aredisposed in the last 10 so as to face away from each other.

In use, the last 10 is provided with the bore 26 and the recess 28 andthe bore 32 and the plate element 20 is positioned in the recess 28 withthe spring 34 in the bore 26 and the portion of the spring 38 projectingthrough the slot 24. The screws 32 are used to secure the plate element20 securely in place in the sole toe portion and heel portion.

The inner sole 18 is next firmly and securely positioned and clamped onthe last 10 by disposing it so that the holes receive the springportions 38 and the shoe is built upon the inner sole in theconventional manner.

While only a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown anddescribed, other embodiments are contemplated and numerous changes andmodifications may be made in the invention without departing from thespirit thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a shoe last including a toe portion and a heelportion and a sole surface extending over the toe and heel portions, ofan insole retaining device comprising a coil spring anchored to saidlast and having a headed portion projecting out of said sole surfaceadjacent each end of said sole surface, each of said headed portionsbeing adapted for receiving thereover an insole provided with a hole forsaid spring headed portion.

2. The combination with a shoe last including a toe portion and a heelportion and a sole surface extending over the toe and heel portions, ofan insole retaining device comprising a tapered coil spring anchored tosaid last and having an offset headed portion projecting out of saidsole surface adjacent each end of said sole surface, each of said headedportions being adapted for receiving thereover an insole provided with ahole for said spring headed portion.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said spring headedportions are fiat.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said spring headedportions face away from each other.

5. A last having insole locating and holding members mounted thereon,one of said members located adjacent to one end of the last beingadapted to enter an aperture adjacent to one end of an insole on thelast and another member located adjacent to the other end of the lastand adapted to enter an aperture adjacent to the other end of theinsole, one of said insole holding members being adapted to exert ayielding force on the last and adapted to enter an aperture adjacent tothe heel end of the insole, one of said insole holding members beingadapted to exert a yielding force on the insole in a direction extendinglengthwise of the last away from said other member, thereby causing saidmembers frictionally to engage said apertures and thus hold the insole0n the bottom of the last.

No references cited.

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A SHOE LAST INCLUDING A TOE PORTION AND A HEELPORTION AND A SOLE SURFACE EXTENDING OVER THE TOE AND HEEL PORTIONS, OFAN INSOLE RETAINING DEVICE COMPRISING A COIL SPRING ANCHORED TO SAIDLAST AND HAVING A HEADED PORTION PROJECTING OUT OF SAID SOLE SURFACEADJACENT EACH END OF SAID SOLE SURFACE, EACH OF SAID HEADED PORTIONSBEING ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING THEREOVER AN INSOLE PROVIDED WITH A HOLE FORSAID SPRING HEADED PORTION.